This book was prepared in hope that you and I would find encouragement through the Lord in our time of trouble. In no way do I want to downplay the importance of your doctor. God uses and works through doctors to help your physical healing process; and, the Lord knows we need more good and caring doctors.

But what I would like us to look at today is the whole person. We are made of body, soul, and spirit. As our doctors work to heal our bodies only the Lord can heal and quicken (make alive) your spirit. The word of God records this process as being born again, not physically, but spiritually. The Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus,

John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

If you are reading this booklet and are sure you are going to heaven (you have seen yourself as a sinner; repented; asked God to forgive you; and trusted in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ to pay your sin debt in full), that's good. However, even those of us that have been saved suffer fromPhysical and spiritual problems.

If you are reading this and are not sure where you would go when you die, then please read Chapter I and find out from the word of God the only way to heaven.

I pray this book will be a blessing to you, your family and friends.

Bro. Larry Hample

Founder / Director

Albany Rescue Mission

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Chapter I

Knowing the Lord

Most people know about the Lord but many people do not know the Lord. Let's look at the Bible the word of God to find out the only way to heaven.

II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

The Lord wants to save you. And he only has one way of doing that. One day, the Lord Jesus told his disciples:

John 14:1-6 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

You see from this scripture that Jesus is the only way.

FIVE THINGS GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW

We are all sinners.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

We all owe a sin debt.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

We cannot save ourselves.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Jesus has already paid our debt.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

We must all get right with God and trust Jesus as our personal savior.

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

If you would like to trust on the Lord to save you, you can pray this prayer to trust and call on the Lord. You must realize this prayer is not what saves you. What saves you is the fact that you have repented and asked God for forgiveness, believed on, and trusted in, the Lord Jesus Christ. He died, was buried, and rose again to pay your debt. And you called on him to save you. You may now pray:

Lord I realize I am a sinner. Please forgive and have mercy on me. I believe you died for my sins. I believe in God and the Bible, and I believe you will give me eternal life according to the word of God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Now if you called on the Lord to save you let's look at some verses of proof that you now have eternal life.

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I John 5:9-13 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

John 10:27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.

We must realize that God does all the saving. Plus he keeps us saved.

John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

We only get saved one time. However, we should pray and confess our sins daily. It's like taking a bath to keep ourselves clean before the Lord.

I John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Chapter II

Why Does Mankind Suffer?

This is a complex subject and there are many reasons why we suffer from physical and mental illness and many different diseases. The number one reason is found in the Bible.

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Rom 6:23a For the wages of sin is death;

The fact is we are born with a sin nature. Sin is our number one disease. And the only one who can cleanse us of sins is the Great Physician, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

I Cor 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

II Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Heb 9:24-28 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

I John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

I John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

I John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

We can see from these scriptures that the Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed himself in order to pay our sin debt. The Bible teaches that.

Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

We can see from this verse that good and bad things happen to those that know the Lord and those that do not know him. As a real Christian that has been saved, the judgment of our sins has been paid and put on Christ at Calvary. And when we die we will go to heaven. However, as an unsaved person they will face the judgment of God at the Great White Throne Judgment. And they will be judged and pay for every sin they ever committed. Then they will be put into the lake of fire to suffer eternal damnation and separation from God forever.

Rev 20:10-15 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Luke 16:19-31 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

So you can see how important it is for us to repent and trust in the Lord to save us.

Let us first state that God is not the cause of all sickness, disease, and bad things that happen to mankind. Although God does allow things to happen, he is not the cause of all bad things. Satan, God's adversary and God's number one enemy, does everything in his power to destroy us. With regard to a saved person he is limited on how far he can go.

Job 1:8-12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

But to the unsaved that do not trust in the Lord it's not the same.

Psa 7:12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.

Chapter III

Why God Allows Some Things to Take Place

First let's look at how God deals with the unsaved person. One of God's attributes is that he is all-knowing. He knows the past, the present, the future. He knows who is going to trust in him for salvation, but he does not make you come to him. You must make that choice yourself. Jesus said

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

We need to take another look at the fact that God desires all men to repent.

II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

In order for God to save us we must realize that we are sinners, lost, and headed to hell, without hope and unable to do anything about our condition ourselves. In other words we cannot save ourselves. No amount of good works or religion will get you to heaven.

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Now God through the person of his Holy Spirit will reprove and convict us of our sinful condition and draw us to the Lord Jesus.

John 16:7-15 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

One of the big problems in this area is man's pride and stubbornness. So in order for the Lord to get our attention he may use any number of road blocks to get us to look to him. These could include illnesses, some disease, an accident, or even the death of someone close to us. God does not allow these things to happen to punish us but he does use them in order to get our attention. Man has to see himself as God sees us, a sinner lost without hope to do anything about it. This is the process God uses to bring us to repentance. Jesus said:

True repentance will bring about a change of mind, a change of heart, and a change of your will, which will prepare you to believe the gospel (Truth), trust, and call on the Lord to save you. Jesus said:

Mark 1:15 . . . The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

In this next chapter we will see how God deals with a saved person.

Chapter IV

Why God Allows Bad Things to Happen to Saved People

First we must cover the fact that not everything bad that happens to a saved person is a result of our sins. There are times that God will test the believer. I call this God's weighing station. This process happens as we Christians grow spiritually. We might want to call these growing pains. He uses these events to test our faith

Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

He also allows these things to happen in order to draw us closer to him.

Pro 3:5-7 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

How God deals with the saved person that sins willfully

God is a good Father, the best. However, he does correct or chasten his children when we disobey or sin willfully. The Bible term for this condition is backsliding.

Pro 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

If we as believers do not judge our own sins and correct them, then the Lord has no other choice but to correct us.

I Cor 11:31-32 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Heb 12:5-11 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

If, after God chastens us as Christians and we still do not respond, repent, and change these ways, then we put ourselves in danger of the sin unto death. This is reserved for believers that become unfruitful and continue to disobey the Lord.

I John 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Paul warns us about this in I Corinthians; some of these believers in the Church of Corinth sinned to the point that God caused them to be weak and sickly and some even died as a result of what they did.

I Corinthians 11:18-32 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

In light of what we see in the Bible, you and I as Christians should judge ourselves, forsake and confess our sins to God, asking for healing and forgiveness.

II Chron 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

In the next chapter we will examine: Does the modern day faith-healer have the same power the apostles had in the book of Acts?

Chapter V

Do Today's Faith-healers Have the same Power the Apostles Had in Acts?

The answer to this question is emphatically NO. The study of God's word in this chapter is given as a stern warning not to follow or go to seek healing from any modern day faith-healer. These men and some women hold big healing services all over America and other parts of the world, and they draw thousands upon thousands of people seeking healing in these services. And please note these so-called faith-healers take in huge amounts of money for themselves.

The problem today stems from the charismatic movement that has been deceived into believing that of the spiritual gifts given to believers, that the four sign gifts given to the apostles because the Jews require a sign, still exist today. These four sign gifts are listed in:

Mark 16:17-18 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Casting out devils, speaking in tongues, taking up deadly serpents, and healing.

The Lord's prophecy in this scripture has already been fulfilled. All four of these sign gifts took place in the book of Acts, including raising the dead.

Acts 16:18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 28:3-5 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

Acts 3:6-8 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

Acts 20:7-12 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

Acts 9:36-42 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.

The apostles that the Lord gave these spiritual gifts to were able to exercise all four of these gifts as we see in Acts. Keep in mind these were given because of unbelieving Jews who always required a sign.

I Cor 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

The following scriptures are listed to prove that the Jews required a sign.

Exodus 4:30-31 And Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

Exodus 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.

Numbers 14:11 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

Judges 6:17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

I Samuel 10:7-9 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee. And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do. And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

Isa 7:11 Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Ezekiel 4:3 Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.

Matt 12:38-39 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

Matthew 24:3, 30 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? . . . And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Mark 8:11-12 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

Luke 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Luke 2:34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

Now let's see when these sign gifts ended. Paul said in:

I Cor 13:8-13 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

The problem here is the misinterpretation of I Corinthians 13:8-10. The charismatic movement of today believes this refers to the coming back of the Lord. In other words they say the sign gifts will cease. Just the opposite is true. The second coming of Christ will come with signs, wonders, dreams, and prophecies.

Joel 2:28-31 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.

Now let's see what Paul is referring to in I Cor 13:8-10. That which is perfect does not refer to Christ. Christ is not a "that." That which is perfect refers to the finished holy word of God, which at that time was not completed. It was completed and given to the apostle John on the Isle of Patmos around A.D. 96. It is called the Revelation of Jesus Christ. And there is a warning given to anyone who adds or takes away from the prophecies of the word of God

Rev 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Now that we have the completed word of God we don't need to see signs and hear new revelations, which by the way are not from God.

II Cor 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Now we can see how Satan has deceived these men and is using them to keep people from coming to the knowledge of the real truth.

If these so-called faith-healers still want to claim they possess these sign gifts (and by the way if they had one they would have all four), when have you ever heard one use the Bible gift of tongues, that is speak in a foreign language they have not studied or learned!

Acts 2:4-11 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

If they had the real gift of tongues, why do they have to send their missionaries to language school to learn the language of the country to which they are going? As for casting out demons, Jesus addresses them in

Matt 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

As for taking up serpents, the so-called snake handlers, go to some of these churches and you will see photos of some of their former members no longer alive. I guess they didn't have enough faith. That should speak for itself. And oh yes, when was the last time you saw one of these men drink a deadly poisonous cocktail and live to tell it?

Now let's look at their claim to have the power of God to heal. When have you ever seen one of them put a cut-off ear back on a man?

Luke 22:49-51 When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

When has one of them put broken bones back together "live"? When has one of them given sight to a truly blind person? When has one healed a truly deaf person "live"? And pray tell when have you ever seen one of these faith-healers raise a dead person and you saw that? These faith-healers do not live up to the word of God. The false doctrines they promote are not found in the Bible. They play on people's emotions and put on quite a show. You could call it Hollywood Christianity.

When you compare their false teachings with the word of God you can see the difference. In the Bible, Peter and John claimed no special power.

Acts 3:12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

They never held healing meetings. They healed people wherever they were. The healing was always complete. No relapses, with the apostolic healings. The healing was the minor thing. The important thing was preaching the gospel and getting people saved.

Acts 4:4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

Where in the Bible did you see Jesus or the apostles passing the plate or collecting money before they healed someone? And when did you read where Jesus or the apostles blew on someone or hit them on the forehead and tell them they had been slain in the spirit, causing the person to fall down and shake and quiver like a fish out of water? However, we do have a record of two people being slain by the spirit in Acts.

Acts 5:1-12 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.

That's a big difference indeed. To sum this up, don't waste your time trying to find and go to a faith-healer. You can get in touch with God wherever you are. And you don't have to dial 1-800 Anywhere. God's line is never busy and it won't cost you a dime. In the next chapter we will see that God still heals today, if it is his will.

Chapter VI

God's Divine Healing Not Always His Will

Healing in answer to prayer. Before we see what the Bible says about God's divine healing, we need to cover the fact that it is not always God's will to heal us. The truth is that many good Christians including preachers have died or are suffering from cancer, heart problems, and all kinds of sickness and diseases. We must remember what the Bible teaches about sin. Since all of us are born with a sin nature, then it stands to reason that we suffer and eventually die because of our sin nature.

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Rom 6:23a For the wages of sin is death;

The great apostle Paul, by the way, had all four of the sign gifts. He spoke in tongues.

I Cor 14:18-19 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

He cast out demons.

Acts 16:16-18 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

He handled a poisonous serpent.

Acts 28:3-6 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

He healed all manner of sickness.

Acts 28:8-9 And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:

And he even raised the dead.

Acts 20:7-12 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

Even though Paul could do all this through God's power, he himself could not get healed from what he referred to as his thorn in the flesh.

II Cor 12:7-12 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

So we see from this account in the Bible that it is not always God's will to heal us, a warning that we should not get bitter at the Lord or try to guess why the Lord does what he does. God never makes a mistake, and there is no such thing as luck with the Lord. There is a reason for everything that happens to us. Part of trusting in the Lord is trusting him in all areas of our lives.

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

And let us not forget what it says in Proverbs.

Pro 3:5-10 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Chapter VII

Does God Still Heal Today?

The answer to this question is yes. However, the answer is also: If it be thy will. That's the key. As we have seen, it is not always God's will to heal us. However, Jesus said: "Ye have not because ye ask not. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you." Even though it is not God's will always to heal us, that does not mean we should not ask.

In the Bible there are instructions given to Christians who are sick.

James 5:13-15 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

This prayer of faith to heal us enters into the sovereign will of God. The Bible also says

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

But as we have already learned, this decision is left up to God alone.

So, as we sum up this subject, we need to be mindful that the Lord may heal us and he may not. But we should accept whatever the Lord does, keeping in mind what he told the apostle Paul.

II Cor 12:9-10 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

I pray that this book has helped us to understand God's divine healing, realizing that all true healing comes from God even though he does use doctors and medicine to assist in this process. In closing, the most important matter here is to be sure your have trusted in the Lord for salvation.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.